The U.S. Senate confirmed Alabama Solicitor General Edmund “Eddie” LaCour Jr. as a federal judge for the Northern District of Alabama in a 51-47 party-line vote, filling the vacancy left by Chief Judge L. Scott Coogler’s retirement. LaCour has served as Alabama’s Solicitor General since 2019, handling high-profile cases including the landmark redistricting case Allen v. Milligan before the U.S. Supreme Court.

LaCour was first nominated in 2020 but was blocked by then-Sen. Doug Jones. With Republicans now holding Alabama’s Senate seats, his nomination proceeded smoothly this year. Senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville praised LaCour’s extensive appellate experience and legal record, noting his admission to all U.S. circuit courts of appeals and the Supreme Court, where he has argued multiple cases.

Prior to his government service, LaCour worked at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Bancroft PLLC, and Baker Botts LLP. He holds a J.D. from Yale Law School, a Master of Philosophy from Trinity College Dublin, and a summa cum laude bachelor’s degree from Birmingham-Southern College. With LaCour, along with recent confirmations of Bill Lewis and Hal Mooty, Alabama’s federal judiciary heads into 2026 with several new appointments across its Northern and Middle Districts.